29 die waiting for transplants in South West

You may also like

. 783 people have donated organs
. 1,788 people have donated corneas
. 2,328 people have received the gift of sight
. 2,164 people have received transplants
. 7,978 people are still waiting for transplants

A UK-wide campaign's underway to close the gap between the number of people who say they’d be willing to accept an organ if they needed one – 96% - and those who have pledged to donate by joining the ODR, currently 27%.

Sally Johnson, director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHSBT, said: “We believe there is some confusion around whether people are signed up to become an organ donor. Many people believe that they are signed up to the ODR because they already carry a donor card but to be on the register, you must complete an
application form. Carrying a donor card is great but on its own can get lost or damaged. The best way
to record your wishes is to sign up to the ODR and then to discuss you decision with those close to you."

Currently, 603 people are waiting for an organ transplant in the South West and last year (April 2008-March 2009) 485 organ transplants took place. 29 people in the South West died last year whilst waiting for a donor.
Following the campaign launch sign ups to the ODR online and via phone increased by 380% compared to November 2008.